Allegiant Alternate Ending
by Addictedtoscifi
Summary: *Spoilers* Tris lives, but someone else must make the ultimate sacrifice and stop the Bureau's plan to reset the entire city... Covers chapters 45 to the end of the book
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfic-I was thoroughly aggravated after reading the ending to Allegiant, and I decided to revise the previous version of this chapter. So please review and enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1**

Tris' POV:

Caleb looks at me from the microscope. He clears his throat and fixes his eyes on me intently.

"There were a lot of things we didn't know about each other, or our parents for that matter," he sighs. "I just wished we could have been honest with each other when we had the chance."

"It's not too late," I say, pulling up a chair. "How about play the game 'Candor', the one where each of us answers a question honestly?"

Caleb laughs. "Remember when I made you confess to stealing a book, and Mom made you apologize to the librarian?"

"Oh, that was the worst," I say, giving a light laugh. "That librarian was awful, and she never forgave me."

"Well, she absolutely adored me, for obvious reasons," he says, teasing. Then his eyes get serious and his voice gets quiet. He asks, "Have you really forgiven me, or are you just saying that you have because I'm about to die?"

I stare at my hands, which rest in my lap. Ever since what happened at Erudite headquarters, I have been making an effort to treat him like a decent human being – but I'm not exactly sure that's forgiveness. Maybe "forgiveness" is just waiting for time to dull the hurt, for the anger to fade to a distant ache.

"Yes I have, I think," I say. "Or at least I think I want to."

He looks somewhat relieved at that, but for some reason I feel even worse. Suddenly the itching thought I have been suppressing this whole time comes up. "Why are you doing this?" I ask. "What's the most important reason?"

"Beatrice…" Caleb says with a tight face. "I…I…"

He hesitating makes me think that his Erudite side is conjuring up some form of excuse, but when I look at him I only see Caleb, my brother.  
He looks older, somber, and he replies, "I guess it's the only way I can forgive myself. For all the shame and guilt I feel for everything I've done."

Something inside me collapses and I feel a crushing weight in my chest. Everything I've been holding in, the anticipation, the tension, comes rushing out like water from a broken dam. I ache at what he just said because I've guessed it all along.

"Caleb…" I begin.

Suddenly a voice from the intercom booms out and signals the emergency alarm. Matthew bursts through the door like a wild animal, anxiety written all over his face.

"The alarm! The emergency lockdown, what was that all about?" I have to yell over the increasing pandemonium outside.

"It means we have to go to the Weapons Lab **now** before they increase the security, or it'll be impossible to get through, hurry!" Matthew says.

No, no not yet, please not after he just confessed. I look at Caleb, and he looks back, pure terror in his eyes. I cross to the table to collect our weapons while Caleb hurriedly puts on his protective suit. Tobias once told me that the Abnegation say that you should only let someone sacrifice themselves if it was the ultimate way to prove that they loved you…

But for Caleb, that's not what this is.

As we make our way down the hall, all I see is chaos. Thankfully the guards are too busy handling the rest of the people to notice that we are going the opposite way. Caleb shifts his backpack of explosives and clutches his protective mask tighter to his body as we weave through the crowd. Little by little the crowd thins out, and I feel the pressure building inside of me.

"Something must have happened to Cara," Matthew mutters. "The lights were supposed to be off a long time ago."

A split second later, Matthew fires his gun into the air, shattering the glass above, and creating a diversion so that Caleb and I can run. The commotion has caused disorder among the remaining people as they begin to scream and run in different directions.

"Stop!" a voice shouts from behind.

The guards. They've found us.

"Stop or we'll shoot!"

We skid to a halt. Caleb puts his hands in the air and I slowly do the same. My mind is racing – we must get to the Weapons Lab no matter what, but there is almost no chance that Caleb will make it. Even if does get there, he won't survive the death serum…but there is a chance that _I_ can.

"Caleb, give me your backpack," I say.

"No, Beatrice I can't let you do this," he says.

"On your knees NOW!" The guards have their guns raised.

I grab Caleb and force him onto his knees, my gun pointed at his head. I face the guards and shout, "You come any closer and I'll shoot him!"

I quickly turn back and whisper urgently to him, "Caleb…your backpack…now."

"Beatrice, no, you can't do this, I will not let you!" he says back, voice strained.

Tears start to well up in my eyes. "I love you Caleb," I say.

"I said get on your knees!" the guard screams, gun trained at my head.

"I love you too," he chokes out. "And I want you to know that I could never send you to your own execution. Please…forgive me." And then it happens.

Caleb reaches for his gun and fires at the guard who pointed her gun at me, distracting me enough to let go of him. I hear screams as the guards and Caleb exchange fires. I shoot at them, trying to buy as much time for Caleb to set off the explosives. My Dauntless training takes over, my breathing deepens and all I am focused on are the guards – my targets. I shoot to kill, reload, and shoot again and again. Mercilessly. Even when the bullet hits me in the arm, I don't flinch. The explosion is what brings me back to my senses. My ears ring as I see that the guards have retreated out of range of the death serum. I stumble back and forth like a wild animal, trying to grasp anything in the spinning world. My eyes land on Caleb, with his mask on, getting swallowed by the death fog.

"CALEB!" a deafening roar comes out of me. "NO!" I stagger toward him clutching my wounded arm. "Please…"

He turns around and our eyes lock for a second. I don't see an Erudite coward or anything evil. I see a brave soldier, the brother who held my hand when our mother was in the hospital, the one who always looked out for me. I think of all the good things he is: smart, observant, quiet and kind.

_"I could never send you to your own execution," his ghostly voice echoes in my head._

I love him. He is a part of me, he always will be and I can't lose him. Right when I am about to enter within the death serum's range, he pulls out his gun…and fires his last bullet into my leg so that I can't…follow…him…

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**I have yet again revised the story, so now chapters 1 and 2 are combined. If you don't know what I'm talking about, please disregard and keep reading...**


	2. Chapter 2

**My story continued, this time with Caleb's perspective too. Hope you guys like it!**

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**Chapter 2**

Tris' POV:

His empty gun clatters to the floor the same time my knees buckle and I collapse to the floor. The pain in my leg makes my vision go black around the edges and I have to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. Blood is pouring out from the wound and surrounding me in a puddle. My breathing becomes labored as the serum creeps slowly towards me, white tendrils of smoke reaching out like long fingers. I am flirting with death. The serum smells like smoke, acrid and suffocating. Every breath I take is like having my lungs set on fire. An invisible thread is tugging at me, tugging for me to sleep, but I can't. I must be awake. For Caleb.

The thread pulls harder, and this time it feels sinister. I can't…I…must…stay…awake!

_Go to sleep_ invisible thread tells me. _It will be over soon, all you have to do is sleep…_

"No," I insist. "Leave me alone, I have to help my brother."

_But it would be so easy_ the voice says again. _It would be nice to just float away, see where it'll lead you._

A fire is building up in my chest, the desire to live. Tobias, Christina, Zeke, Cara, Matthew, Uriah. I say their names over and over again to feed the flames.

_Your parents. Tori. Al. They're all dead, and you could join them. Come on, it's so easy just give in. GIVE IN!_ the voice coaxes.

They died for me though. They died so I would have the chance to make things right. The flames in my chest explode into an all-out inferno, and I'm on my feet before I know it. I charge towards the door, ready to help Caleb. However there is only one thing that's stopping me. It's the sound of Caleb's voice. Talking to someone else. And that someone else is David.

Caleb's POV:

Immediately after I step into the vestibule, I feel the smoke surrounding me. It pokes and prods at the suit, trying to find a way in to suffocate me, and I know that my time is limited. I take a few seconds to compose myself, only I'm not alone.

"Don't move," David says raising his gun.

I freeze. My heart is pounding; my mind is racing knowing that my precious few minutes are quickly ticking away. My eyes flicker from David to the device, and back. I try to assess the distance between me and the controls, and weigh the odds of David shooting me dead before I reach it. Nope, the odds are certainly not good.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" David sounds a little surprised. "Mr. Caleb Prior. I must say, you did not strike me as the daring type, so please forgive me if I sound rather…appalled." His voice takes on a jeering note.

At this point, I don't care what he says; I have to reach the controls. "You came here alone?" I say. "I don't suppose that was very smart of you."

"And you're one to talk about being smart at this point and time," he laughs sarcastically. "You see, there is no way you are going to steal four virus devices while I have you here at gunpoint. And may I mention that only I possess the inoculation against the death serum, and without it, you will be conveniently dead in a matter of minutes."

He's right about that. But he doesn't know that I'm not here to steal the viruses, I'm here to deploy one of them. My eyes sweep the room, looking for the device that will release the memory serum. I find it in the box that Matthew described earlier: painted in black with a silver keypad with a strip of blue tape running down the middle.

"It was you!" I say, hoping to distract him. "You are the reason for the attack simulation – **you** caused my mother's death."

"I did not!" David says. "I gave her a warning way ahead of time so that she could get her loved ones to a safe house, but she wouldn't listen. It was her own ignorance that was her downfall."

"How dare you!" I screech, taking a couple steps toward him. He raises his gun and points it directly at my head.

"Careful son, don't want you following in her footsteps…but of course you will eventually…" He sweeps his free hand across the room, and around the airborne death serum.

"My mother was not ignorant," I say, voice shaking with rage. "She understood something that you never will. That sacrifice should be done out of love, not for something as unethical as misplaced disgust for another person's genetics."

"Like I said, I'm surprised that it was you who came in instead of your sister Tris," he says. "She seemed more like her mother than anything – rushing into things, willing to put others' needs in front of her without a moment's notice. Unlike you, the sniveling coward who aided Jeanine during Tris's planned execution!"

I should be ready to commit murder right now, but the serum is starting to penetrate my suit, making it harder and harder to breathe. It's becoming a struggle to stand upright.

"You loved her didn't you?" I say. "Her journals…the reason why you couldn't read her updates after she married my father…"

David's eyes become glassy. "Yes," he responds. "But that time is past. But I must say Mr. Prior, for someone who is so intelligent, I am astonished how you walked into your own death trap. And I won't even have to lift a finger." He thumbs the trigger on his gun, mocking me.

"You're wrong. About my mother, my sister, this whole genetics crap, about everything!" I hiss. "Tris tried to follow me here and I shot her in the leg to prevent her from coming, to protect her. I'm sacrificing myself because I love her. They didn't rush into things unknowingly; they did it out of love! And I am NOT going to let my parents' death be in vain –"

BANG! A gun goes off from somewhere by the entrance and I see David clutching his shoulder, screaming, his gun now on the floor. I hear someone screaming, "CALEB, GO!"

It's Tris…

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**I had fun with this chapter because it I got to include Caleb's perspective, and how he wasn't just this one-dimensional Erudite robot. Please review and let me know if you have any suggestions!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hi I'm back. Sorry for the delay, I have just experienced the worst writer's block in ages, and I wasn't happy with any of my drafts...so I tried my best and here it is! I will be completing my story very shortly.**

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**Chapter 3**

Tris' POV:

At first I am confused at what's happening but the sight of Caleb frozen in his suit…and David pointing his gun at him brings me back to my senses. I quickly duck out of sight and crouch beside the entrance, peering over the side of the doorway.

I catch David saying_, "…you see, there is no way you are going to steal four virus devices while I have you here at gunpoint. And may I mention that only I possess the inoculation against the death serum, and without it, you will be conveniently dead in a matter of minutes."_

He thinks Caleb is there to steal them. Of course he does, because that's just how he is. He cares nothing of the individual members of the Bureau, the city, or even himself. All that matters in his mind is the success of the experiment – the government is on the verge of shutting it down, and he can't have that after the rest of the cities failed. I have to stop him.

Then I hear Caleb say, _"It was you… you are the reason for the attack simulation – __**you**__ caused my mother's death."_

All the air seems to get sucked out of me and I find it hard to breathe again. He's right. The Bureau created the serum; and they are the ones who set it off. And David is the reason why my mother is dead. The anger starts building up inside of me; the pressure is expanding in my chest. I feel the savage urge to lunge and rip David's heart out, but there's more.

"…_It was her own ignorance that was her downfall…"_ David's words seem to float in the air.

The message hits me like a punch in the gut and I have to restrain myself once more. _Wait until the moment's right_ I tell myself.

"_She wasn't ignorant; she just understood something that you never will –"_

"_If only she had listened to me –"_

"_No one in their right mind would have listened to you, you MONSTER!"_

"_- she would have gotten out in time…"_

"…_misplaced disgust…"_

"…_sacrifice for the greater good…"_

Their words blend into one giant unintelligible heap and soon I can't concentrate on anything besides my own storm of thoughts. My mother. They are talking about my mother and the day she died. She died for me, for my brother. Our parents sacrificed themselves for us so that we could have the chance to do something that they never could: to make things right. And the Bureau is no exception.

_"You loved her, didn't you?"_ Caleb says.

_"Yes, but that time has passed," _David says back.

The selfish bastard. Offering our mother a way out while the rest of the city perished under the hands of Jeanine Matthews was for David's own personal reasons, and I know that she would_ never_ have agreed to that.

_"That was the reason why you couldn't read her journals anymore…after she married my father…"_

I can hear the change in Caleb's voice. It's faltering, and his breathing seems labored, and that can only mean one thing: he's running out of time. I reach for the gun that's hooked in my belt, my eyes never leaving David. I don't want to kill him yet. I want to be there to make the pain last as long as possible, to see the life leave his eyes. Shooting him in the head seems too merciful. Slowly, with my finger on the trigger, I aim at the arm that's holding the gun. My eyes zero in on the target. I breathe in, and squeeze the trigger.

The gun goes off and I hear David screaming his lungs out.

"CALEB, GO!" I shout as I rush into the Weapons Lab. I kick David's gun, which is now on the floor, away from his wheel chair. Without hesitating, I shoot David again in his other arm, another on his hand, and the last one I bury deep into his chest. There is blood everywhere. I barely register Caleb running over to the device. I look into David's eyes and barely see any life left in them. He seems to recognize me and gives an agonizing scream for help, with the blood gurgling in his throat…which falters and eventually dies out. Blood drips from his fingers; it oozes from his arm, and coats the entire front of his body.

"Beatrice…" I turn around and find Caleb clutching at his throat. Slowly his knees buckle and he slumps to the floor.

"No, no Caleb!" I cry running to him. "Oh God, please stay with me!"

He skin is ghostly white, his eyes have turned a grayish-green tinge, and he wheezes like a fish out of water…and I know the death serum is slowly sucking the life out of him.

"I-I did it," he gasps, weakly gesturing to the device. "I activated the memory serum a-and pushed the green…button…" He bursts into a fit of coughing.

"C-Caleb, listen to me," I say trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm going to get you out of here." I lift his arms and try to drag him towards the doorway.

"It's no use, Beatrice," he croaks. "Get out of here before it gets to you too."

Suddenly, the pain from the two bullet wounds I had sustained earlier crashes into me like a ton of bricks. I stumble and fall to the ground, blood splattering on the floor and this time, it's **my** blood.

"Listen to me!" I say through gritted teeth. "We are in this together, and I am not going to leave you."

"It's too late," he whispers. "I'm already dead. You have people who care about you, people who need you. I'm just nobody. That's why _I_ was supposed to be the one to come in here before you decided to show up too."

"I care about you," I insist. And it's true. I've realized even after everything he's done, he is still a part of me.

"You're the only family I have left," I say, tears in my eyes. "Please…" But I know my efforts are futile.

"Remember what I told you," he gasps, suddenly urgent. "I love you, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

_I could never send you to your own execution…_

"Oh God, Caleb I am so sorry." Tears spill from my eyes and I am desperately clutching at his suit.

"Mom was right, about everything," he whispers to me. "Sacrifice should be done out of love, and with this last act, I have done just that."

_I could never send you to your execution…_

I have never felt so helpless. I drag myself to him and rest his head in my lap. I have to be strong, for the both of us.

"I'll stay here with you," I say swallowing back my sobs. "I want you to know that you'll always be my brother."

"Be brave…Tris." His breathing becomes shallower.

"Be brave Caleb, I love you…" A few seconds later, he takes one last breath and his eyes close. His head becomes limp in my arms and falls to one side.

_I could never send you to your execution…_

Something inside me snaps and I burst out, crying like a wild animal. The pain of the bullet wounds, my brother's and parents' death all mingle together to form one gigantic ball of grief. Everything threatens to escape from inside my body and it feels like my head is about to explode. I crawl around on the floor and try to get up, only to slip on the bloody mess and hit my head.

When my body hits the floor, I don't feel any pain, just numbness. I feel the thread tugging at me again, but this time it doesn't seem like a sinister force. I hear voices and among them is…my mother's voice calling to me. Telling me it's time to go. And yet, in the background, the commotion of other voices grows louder and louder and I think the guards are outside. _Let them come_ I think. _Let them be exposed to the airborne serum…I don't care anymore…_

Can I be forgiven for all I've done to get here? My parents' death, Tobias's betrayal, and my brother's cold body, lying inches away from me?

_I could never send you to your own execution…_

I want to be.

I can.

I believe it.

The feeling of me being lifted off the ground gives me the sense that maybe I'm flying off into another world, but if that is so…why do I still feel so much pain?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys, hard to believe it, but I'm back! This is probably the longest of all the chapters so it took a lot longer to write, but I did it! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 4**

Tobias' POV:

"You could just do the work you know? You could make better decisions, make a better life."

Peter and I are standing in the hallway outside Evelyn's office. I have the vial of memory serum held in my hands, one last desperate attempt at saving the city, and one of my parents. But in the end, she chose me. Evelyn Johnson chose me over control of the city, and now Peter wants the serum to erase any trace of his monstrous self.

"Yeah, I could," Peter replies. "But I won't and we both know that."

So he has chosen the coward's way out. I know that change is difficult, and comes slowly, and that it is the work of many days strung together in a long line until the origin of them is forgotten. But of course, he is afraid that he cannot put in that work, and that in the end, he will end up worse than he is now. And I understand this feeling–I understand being afraid of yourself.

I have him sit on one of the couches and ask him if there is anything he wants me to tell him about himself after he's been erased. He just shakes his head. Nothing. He wants to retain nothing. He twists off the cap and smells it.

"How much should I drink?" he asks, and I can hear his teeth chattering.

"I don't think it makes a difference," I say.

"Ok. Well…here goes." He lifts the vial up to the light like he's toasting me.

"Be brave," I say when he touches the vial to his mouth.

Then he swallows.

And I watch Peter disappear.

It's been done. Evelyn and I have finally finished negotiating the peace treaty with Johanna and the leaders of the Allegiant. In a way, it's like another weight off my shoulders. I will never have to deal with Marcus again, and maybe Evelyn and I can repair some of the damage that he has caused…but of course these scars will be visible for the rest of my life.

"Hey Peter!" I call to the tall figure wandering aimlessly behind us.

He points to himself with an inquisitive look. I have told him his name at least ten times since he drank the serum – Matthew told us people would be disoriented for a while after drinking the memory serum, but I didn't think "disoriented" meant "stupid" until now.

I sigh. "Yes, that's you! For the eleventh time, come on!"

He trots up to us obligingly, and I feel a twinge of pity for him for the first time in ages. I thought that once he drank the serum, I would still see the malicious glint in his eye, the evil that drove him to stab Edward in the eye with a butter knife, or the boy who tried to throw my girlfriend into the chasm. I still see the doe-eyed innocent look, but this time, I believe it. For now, he is nobody. Someone who can be shaped into whoever and whatever at will, and he won't even know it. Even though the Peter I once knew is gone, there is still something depressing about his current state.

My heart cramps up again when I think about what I have to do next.

We find them in their family apartment in the Pire, above the Dauntless building. Hana, Zeke's mother, has small feet that don't touch the ground when she sits in the easy chair in their living room. She is wearing a ragged black bathrobe and slippers, but the air she has, with her hands folded in her hands, and her eyebrows raised, is so dignified that I feel like I am standing in front of a world leader. This doesn't help my current state of mind, and I feel even more like shrinking down.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I really don't know where to start."

"You might begin with the worst," Hana says. "Like what exactly happened to my son."

"He was seriously injured during an attack," I blurt out. "He was standing right by an explosive when it detonated, and he's been in a coma ever since."

"Oh God," Zeke whispers. He rocks back and forth on his chair, like his body wants to be a child again, a child soothed by motion.

But Hana is just sitting there, facing away from me. I think of everything she has been through. The death of her husband, the responsibility of caring for two boys all by herself. All the sacrifices she has made, and all the grief she has had to bear. And now this – the fate of one of her sons.

"He isn't going to wake up, is he?" Hana says, her voice tight. "That is what you came to tell us, right?"

"Yes," I say. "I came to collect you so that you can make a decision on his behalf."

"A decision?" Zeke says. "You mean, to _unplug_ him or not?"

"Zeke…" Hana sighs and shakes her head. He sinks back into the couch and melts into the cushions.

"Of course we don't want to keep him alive that way," Hana says. "We would want him to move on, but we would like to see him."

"Of course," I say. "But there's something else I think you should know. The explosion was set off as part of an uprising attack that involved some of the people from the place where we were staying…and I participated in it."

The truth hangs in the air for a minute, waiting for someone to grasp it. The whole time I'm staring at the dust that has gathered in the floorboards. I am greeted with only silence. Finally I face Zeke.

"I didn't do what you asked me to do," I say. "I didn't take care of him like I should have, and I am sorry."

He is still sitting there, staring off into the distance with an empty look in his eyes.

"I think we need some time with this," Hana says. She clears her throat but that does little to mask her shaking voice.

"I wish I could give it to you," I say. "But we're going back to the compound very soon, and you have to come with us."

"Alright," she says. "If you wait outside, we will be there in five minutes."

The ride back to the compound is dark and slow. In the rearview mirror I see Christina touch her face with both hands, grinning into her palms. I know how she feels: safe. We are all safe.

"Did you inoculate your family?" I say.

"Yep. We found them with the Allegiant, in the Hancock building," she says. But the time for the reset has passed – it looks like Tris and Caleb stopped it."

Hearing Tris's name lifts my spirits, as Amar turns the truck and drives past the fences. The front doors are no longer armed by guards, and I know now that Tris and Caleb have succeeded. There is no one in sight and that can only mean that they have been reset, their memories altered forever.

We walk through the abandoned security checkpoint without stopping. On the other side, I see Cara. The side of her face has been badly bruised, and there is a bandage on her head, but what concerns me is the troubled look on her face.

"What is it?" I say.

She shakes her head.

"Where's Tris?" I say.

"I'm sorry, Tobias."

"Sorry about what?" Christina says roughly. "Tell us what _happened_!"

"Tris followed Caleb into the Weapons Lab," Cara says. "She survived the death serum, but suffered two gunshot wounds and a concussion. She lost a lot of blood, and…"

"And!?" Christina wrings her hands and looks like she's about to faint.

"…her odds are not good. The bullet severed a major artery in her arm, and she suffered severe damage…" Cara goes on and on about the extent of her injuries like another Erudite and I…can't…breathe…

Most of the time I can tell when people are lying, and this must be a lie, because Tris is still well, her eyes bright, her cheeks flushed, and she…she _promised_ me that she would be here…She wouldn't have broken that promise, not after everything we went through.

"No," Christina says, shaking her head. "No way. There has to be a mistake."

Cara's eyes well up with tears. "I'm sorry. Caleb's body is in the morgue, and the doctors say she might be joining him soon–"

Of course she would follow Caleb into the Weapons Lab. Of course she would. An incoherent cry bursts from Christina's lips, and she launches herself at Cara.

I can't move. I can't speak. She went in, of course she would. I knew, but I couldn't save her. And now she's hurt, and I can't do anything.

"Where is she?" Christina demands, shaking like a rabid beast. "TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

"D-Down the hall, first door on the right," Cara replies through sobs. "But the doctors won't let anyone in –"

And I'm running, faster than I've run before. Faster than all those times my life depended on it, faster than any time in training…and Christina is on my heels, faster than I have ever seen her.

_ Hang on Tris. I'm coming…_

Tris' POV:

Darkness. The only thing I can feel is darkness. I have become a separate being, separate from the dull, throbbing pain that plagues my body. I am dimly aware of another pain in my arm, this time more acute, but it fades after a few seconds. The throb slowly diminishes into a faint ache, and I feel like I am floating. I cannot process any thoughts other than the feeling of darkness, and I feel like I am floating on waves. No worries. No thoughts, just darkness.

I don't know how much time passes before the pain brings me back to consciousness again. Along with the pain, I hear something else: pounding in the hall, like the sound of footsteps. A few seconds later there is a loud slam as the door bursts open, and I immediately hear a chorus of voices. Of course I can't make out what they are saying, nor can I judge if they are real or not. But then, I hear _him._

"TRIS!"

He sounds so anguished, so tortured, my heart cramps up. I want nothing more than to reach out to him, to tell him that I'm okay, anything to stop the painful noises coming from him.

I can feel him kneeling beside me, clutching my hands. I fight the invisible bonds and try to gain consciousness. I need to get to him; he needs to know I'm okay. I feel someone else beside me and they say, "There's nothing you can do right now, Tobias. You can only wait…"

It's my best friend, Christina. I'm fighting hard right now against that darkness that threatens to pull me under and never let me go.

"Look, look!" I hear Christina say. "Her heart monitor is speeding up. That must mean that she can hear us, she knows we're here!"

So it all comes down to my heart monitor.

_Yes! It's me, Christina, I'm here!_ I scream in my head.

I can feel Tobias lifting his head up from the bed. He's sniffling, and judging by his reaction, he believes Christina.

"Tris," he croaks. "Tris, can you hear me?"

_YES!_ I shout, but of course he can't hear.

"I know you're in there," he says through gritted teeth. "No matter where you are, I know you'll come back to me."

_No one can take me away from you…_ Desperation takes over and I fight harder.

"The beeping," Christina says excitedly. "Her monitor's beeping faster, she's in there, I know she is!"

"Come back to me, Tris," He croons. "Come back to me and I promise nothing will ever separate us again."

_I'm trying, Tobias_

"We're getting closer," Christina says.

_I'm coming Tobias, Christina._ The darkness is beginning to fade, and I can see bits and splotches of light.

"Come back to me," he says again, this time more insistent, and I feel that longing ache in my heart again.

_I'm coming_ I repeat, and journey into the light.

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**Thanks again for the follows and favorites, I really appreciate it. Let me know if you have any suggestions, because as of right now, I'm not sure about continuing the story...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Tris' POV:

The splotches of light slowly fuse together. It's as if I'm coming to the surface after being underwater for so long. The darkness that has trapped me for so long is finally starting to recede and I can hear everything around me; the sounds of the people breathing heavily beside me, and the sounds of my own heart monitor. Finally, as if the weight that I have been tethered to snaps off, I am shoved back into my body so abruptly I gasp loudly and my eyes snap open.

It is disorienting at first when I survey my surroundings, even though I heard Tobias and Christina just a few moments ago. At least it seemed like a few moments. My neck is stiff and I groan loudly as I turn my head to face them.

Christina has fallen asleep in a chair by the wall with her head on the armrest and her hair cascading down, obscuring her face. Tobias is right next to me, his head buried in his arms with light snores coming from within. I smile and lightly nuzzle my head into the crook of his arms and whisper "Tobias" into his ear.

He jolts awake, his eyes wide. His dark blue eyes meet my light ones and for a second I see the Abnegation boy in him, the boy scarred by his father, betrayed by his mother, empty and hopeless. Then it disappears as quickly as it came.

"Six," he whispers huskily as he takes my face into his hands and kisses me.

I forget everything except that I am enveloped in his warmth. The feel of his arms around me, the smell of wind on him, the hint of stubble on his chin are all the things that make me feel safe.

He releases me and buries his face into the side of my neck. I breathe into his hair whisper soothing things to him.

"What happened?" I ask after some time. He takes a deep breath before saying anything.

"They say you were shot in the upper arm. You severed your brachial artery and lost a lot of blood. They had to get you into surgery to fix it immediately after they found you. They were just in time or else your arm would have been amputated..." His voice trails off.

"I thought I lost you," he croaks, his voice cracking. "When they told me that you went in there and got...shot, I-I almost...oh God Tris don't ever do that to me again!"

"I'm so sorry Tobias," I say. "I couldn't just let him go in there without knowing that I loved him, even after everything he did. And...the thought of him sacrificing himself was almost too much."

"Why? If it was out of love for you, it shouldn't matter much-"

"But it does, Tobias," I insist. "I couldn't stand by and let him do it because it wasn't right."

"What do you mean?" he asks, raising his head. His dark under-eye circles are pronounced and he looks very pale.

"It was out of guilt," I say simply. "He told me he couldn't live with himself after everything he had done, and this was the only way to fix it. Self-redemption. I'm not going to say that was the only reason, but it was enough for me to realize that it would be wrong if I just let him. My parents would never have wanted that."

"Tris, this isn't about what your parents want," he says.

"It is, though. This is _only_ about what my parents want. Don't you see? They sacrificed themselves to save me so I could have a chance to fix things. To make things right and have a chance at a better life. What kind of person would I be if I just disregarded everything they taught me? The Bureau was behind all of this, and I did what I needed to stop them," I say firmly.

He sighs tiredly. "Of course he loved you. Otherwise he wouldn't have felt guilty. Your parents loved you, _I_ love you. And you promised me you wouldn't do anything like that again."

"You know that I would _never _just leave you like that. You've always been there for me and supported me through everything. You mean the world to me, Tobias. But I had to do it, not just for the sake of family. David was waiting for him in the Weapons Lab, and there was no way Caleb could have deployed the serum with a gun aimed at his head."

"David, the son of a bitch," he hisses. "I'm going to rip his throat out when I get the chance."

"It's no use. His memory has been erased so he has no recollection of who he is, where he is, and so on. Neither do any of the other Bureau members," I say.

"I know," he sighs. "But he is the reason for _a lot_ of things, including me almost losing you."

He presses his mouth against mine before I can reply, and I let the feeling of pleasure wash over me. I wrap my arms around his neck and sigh into his ear.

He gives me lopsided grin and says, "You'll be involved in a lot more of that, that's for sure."

"Shhh," I whisper playfully. "Behave yourself. Christina is right there."

"Oh I know," he smirks mischievously. "And guess what? I couldn't care less."

This time it's me who pulls him in, when suddenly I hear,

"You know as much as I love listening in on other people's conversations, this one just crossed the line a bit."

"Nice to see you too, Christina," I say smiling. "Honesty first as always."

"Puh-lease, if I were brutally honest I would've said a lot more," she says with a wink. "But for our friendship's sake I think I'll keep it in."

"And for our friendship's sake, I would like you to shut up and come here and give me a hug already!" I laugh. She gets up from the chair and obliges, giving Tobias a playful nudge and avoiding the multitude of tubes sprouting from my body.

"You had me scared for a second there, Tris," she says looking at me seriously. "But I'm grateful that you are ok." She looks at Tobias. "Four over here, man, you should have seen him. Oh and if you ever try anything like that again, he and I will personally tie you up, lock you in a cellar and play a recording of _me_ chanting love poems about you and Four."

"Uh huh, I think I'll pass," I say, wincing at the thought.

"Aww bummer! I had them all planned out!" she says brightly. Then she becomes serious again. "I'm sorry about Caleb..."

Caleb. The person that did all those things to me at Erudite headquarters, yet he's the very reason I'm in my current position. I could resist the death serum, but he couldn't. Unexpected tears spring to my eyes.

"He was a good person, a good brother to me," I say blinking the tears away. "I'm proud of him, and my parents would have been too."

A moment of silence passes when all three of us just sit there.

_I could never send you to your own execution..._

There's a pounding of footsteps in the hallway before Matthew bursts through the door, panting.

"You guys, you gotta come–oh Tris you're awake!" he says, a smile on his face.

"What? What happened?" Christina asks, a concerned look on her face.

"I-It's Uriah," he breathes heavily.

"Uriah?" I ask. I almost forgot about Tobias and Christina's mission to retrieve Zeke and his mother from the city. Suddenly I have an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

"Zeke and his mother, they got there okay right? They made their decision?" Tobias tries to mask his quivering voice and shaking hands.

"No, they won't be needing to make a decision anymore!" Matthew says.

"WHAT?" all three of us say at the same time.

"He's back!" is all he says before rushing out the door whooping happily.

* * *

"He's back," Christina whispers as she sinks into the chair smiling. Tobias lets out a sigh of relief and strokes my cheek.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," he says.

"That," I say, "was a once in a lifetime moment right there. I personally have never seen Matthew so...I can't even think of anything to describe him."

"Yeah...that's not likely to happen again," Tobias laughs.

"Or the fact that they've basically resurrected Uriah," Christina says. "I have got to find out how they did it. So, I'll see you guys later? Give you some...alone time?" She winks at the both of us while sauntering out the door.

"I swear, one of these days," I say shaking my head.

"She's getting to be more an more like Uriah every day," he says smirking.

"Two Uriahs? We could barely handle one," I say teasing.

"Yeah, well at least I get some...what did she say...alone time with you," he says leaning in.

"Yeah except for the fact that I'm sprouting tentacles," I say gesturing to the tubes, "nothing could make this a more perfect moment."

"Come on," he whines in mock hurt. I turn away like I'm offended then surprise him with a kiss.

"Just kidding," I whisper against his neck.

"I know." He tilts my chin up so that I'm looking into his eyes. Those dark blue orbs that can see into my soul, that make me feel safe, feel loved.

"I love you," I say softly.

"I love you too," he says kissing the tip of my nose.

"Now lets go see Uriah."


	6. Chapter 6

**The epilogue, and as always read and review!**

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**Chapter 6**

Tobias' POV:

When we get to Uriah's room, Zeke and his mother are there along with Christina and Matthew. My heart starts beating faster and my breathing becomes irregular like it did in my fear landscapes. I don't know what condition he is in or how I am going to tell him what I've done. Uriah is in his bed looking a little dazed but still with a signature smile on his face.

"Hey," he says when he sees me wheeling Tris in a wheelchair.

"Hey, yourself," Tris says. "How's it going?"

"Aw, you know the usual. Going around doing crazy things and getting into trouble," he jokes.

"Still old Uriah," Christina sighs. "You know, one would think after something like that happening, you would learn to control your ego."

"Yeah, yeah thanks for the tip Mom," he replies, but then says, "Sorry, Mom," when Hana glares at him.

Zeke chuckles and says, "It's good to have you back, little bro."

"I know," he says, flashing a grin again. He turns to me. "Say, Four, how's it going?!"

To be honest, I was totally caught off guard. I realize that I've backed myself into a corner so I straighten myself up again.

"The going's great," I say, walking over and putting my hand on Tris' shoulder. She gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've risen from the dead!" he replies happily. I know he's just being Uriah, but that still doesn't stop me from feeling like he punched me in the gut. I squeeze Tris' hand harder and bite my tongue to keep from screaming.

"Um, Four? Can I talk to you outside for a minute?" Zeke asks. I nod feebly and let go of Tris. Her concerned eyes meet mine for a second just before Zeke and I walk out the door.

Before I can stop myself I blurt out, "Does he know? Does he know what happened?"

"Listen, Four, I..." he begins.

"Please, Zeke," I say. "I am so sorry. If I had known this would've happened, I would never have participated in the attack. I should have taken care of him like you asked."

"I know," Zeke says gently. "It isn't your fault, you don't have to feel this way. We all understand how much pressure all of you guys were under. This whole genetic warfare crap is still brand new to me. Christina's been filling us in."

"Yeah, I made a stupid mistake," I say, "and it almost cost you your brother. I'm really sorry for everything."

"Hey, I told you it's fine," he says. "Because of you guys, the whole city is saved. I would much rather have it this way than have my entire life erased. It scares me to know how close I was to forgetting my entire family."

"How is he?" I ask. "No physical injuries I hope?"

"Other than cuts and bruises, he's fine," Zeke replies. "The doctors say as much as physical things go, he was very lucky to have sustained such little external damage after being so close to an explosion. Most people would've lost a leg or an arm or something.

I shudder at the thought. That was almost what happened to Tris.

"Hey, like I said, we're cool," he says. "All that matters is that he survived and that he's back."

"Speaking of that, how did they do it? The doctors said something about brainwaves."

"It happened when we came," he says. "Our mom just started talking to him about his life, memories, everything. It took awhile but they finally started to receive some signals."

He looks me in the eyes and it suddenly strikes me how much he looks like his father.

"You risked your life coming into the city, just so you could bring us back here," he says earnestly. "That means the world to all of us. You're a good person, Four, you always have been. And I trust you with my life."

Zeke, one of my best friends from my initiation class. The one who looked after Uriah after their father passed. The one who stayed behind in the city to take care of Shauna despite the fact that it was on the brink of revolution.

"Thanks, man," I say. "You've always been so dedicated."

"I do what I can," he shrugs. He looks inside the room at Tris. "What happened to her? Is she ok?"

"Yeah, it's a long story," I say. "It happened while I was in the city so I don't know exactly what happened."

"Oh," is all he says.

"Hey guys!" I hear Uriah yell from inside. "Are you just gonna stand there yakking, or are you gonna pay attention to me again? It's not everyday I make a comeback like this you know."

I can't help myself. I rest my head against the wall and start laughing. Zeke is just standing there shaking his head and muttering to himself.

"Well, I guess we better get back to his Highness of Comebacks before he really loses it," he says rolling his eyes.

"Yeah we better," I say. We go back into the room. Uriah and Christina have just started bickering over who has more scars and injuries. Matthew has gone out to talk to Cara about Peter. Hana and Zeke are sitting down talking quietly. And me...I'm just holding Tris' hand, enjoying the precious moment of inner peace.

Tris' POV:

Recovery is slow, but it's a work in progress. It's been a few weeks and they've finally let me out of the hospital ward. Tobias accompanies me to physical therapy every couple of days where I exercise my leg and arm and try to regain mobility. Zeke and Uriah have been inseparable since their reunion, and Christina has been floating around between all of us. I can see a change in Tobias. The burden that has been eating at his heart is finally letting up, and I can see he is returning to himself again. Sometimes he relapses, and I can see a glimpse of the obsessive, explosive part of him that Amar knows. But I'm always there to remind him of who he is, and he's always there for me.

Evelyn goes around here and there. I've made an attempt at getting along with her, but I still hold a grudge against her for what she did to Tobias. I know how trapped she must have felt, but I still can't seem to let it go. She and Tobias have been trying to mend their relationship, trying to pick up the pieces that Marcus left behind.

I'm told that Johanna successfully negotiated a peace treaty with the government-David's superiors-to allow former faction members to stay in the city, provided they are self-sufficient, and allow outsiders to come and join them, making Chicago just another metropolitan area like Milwaukee. The Bureau will now be in charge of keeping order in Chicago's city limits.

And...Caleb. After I was deemed healthy enough, I was allowed to visit the morgue. Christina and Tobias were with me. It was so strange, after so many years if living in the same house, sharing the same things, taught the same ideals, that we would end up with such different fates. Him in Erudite and me in Dauntless, an almost unheard of feat in Abnegation.

We gave him an Abnegation-style funeral, silence to honor him. Without his sacrifice, the city and our loved ones would be altered forever. Despite all the things he's done, my parents would be proud of him. And I know that I love him, and he loved me too. After the incident at Erudite headquarters, I chose to see the worst in him. I chose to use every bad thing he ever did and throw it in his face. I realized that it was wrong of me to do so, that everyone has their shortcomings, and it isn't fair to disregard the good things in them. He was a good brother to me, and a better Abnegation than I ever was during my time spent there. Smart, kind, observant, sensitive, and yes...brave. Sacrificing his life for the greater good of the city is something no one can ever repay him for.

Among all the destruction and loss, I know we can heal. With the help of each other, anything is possible, and I know Tobias and I can find a way to have a life with each other. Life always throws things at us, but we always find a way. We just have to be brave enough to do it...

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**A/N: Taadaa! I hope that gives you a better sense of closure than the real ending did. Just a note, I combined chapters 1** **and 2 and moved each of the previous chapter contents up, so really chapters 5 and 6 are the most updated so far. So if you find yourself reading this chapter and being like, "What?", just go back to chapter 5 and I promise everything will be fine :) If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please disregard my babbling. As always, please review!**

**Also...I have some possible future story ideas posted in my profile, so feel free to drop by and let me know which one sounds the best.**


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